


Physics of Mario Kart Racing

by jabedalien



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Episode: s05e05 Geothermal Escapism, romantic overtones but its platonic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:34:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26567389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jabedalien/pseuds/jabedalien
Summary: this was based off a prompt from @chrinic-geadcake on tumblr! The modern vampirism prequel fic i have up is also a similar post- geothermal escapism vibe if that's something yall are looking for!
Relationships: Abed Nadir & Jeff Winger, Abed Nadir/Jeff Winger
Comments: 2
Kudos: 47





	Physics of Mario Kart Racing

**Author's Note:**

> this was based off a prompt from @chrinic-geadcake on tumblr! The modern vampirism prequel fic i have up is also a similar post- geothermal escapism vibe if that's something yall are looking for!

It’s late, Jeff gets the text just as he’s finished his first drink and is in the process of deciding exactly how shitfaced to get tonight. When he sees the message from Abed asking if he wants to come over he puts the cap back on the bottle and gets in his car to leave, forgetting to even answer Abed until he’s at a red light more than halfway there.

He’s shocked by the emptiness that hits when he opens the door Abed left unlocked. It’s oppressive, living in the pictures on walls and hanging heavy in the air. Jeff wonders how the hell Abed and Annie are surviving in this when he could feel its hands suffocating him the moment he stepped into the apartment. Jeff expects Abed to be in the living room like he usually is, but it’s empty and he sees the door to Abed’s bedroom is open a crack.

He questions if he should be calling it Abed’s bedroom, or the old dreamatorium, or something else, because the history in this room feels fragile, the title for it significant in a way Jeff can recognize but not understand. Maybe it’s better not to call it anything.

Jeff pushes the door open and peeks his head in, sees Abed sitting cross-legged on his bed, wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt, zipped all the way up with the hood pulled over his head. For a second Jeff’s startled by how _small_ he looks.

He doesn’t say anything back when Jeff greets him, just motions to the mattress. Stares at Jeff’s feet as he kicks his shoes off and walks across the bare floor to the other side of the bed.

“So do you wanna watch a movie?” Jeff asks after he’s settled.

“You can put something on.” Abed tells him, carefully unzipping his hoodie and folding it on the nightstand.

Jeff couldn’t remember a time Abed didn’t have something he wanted him to watch, a title to click while rattling on to Jeff how much he’s going to like it. This had become the only way Jeff watched anything new, actually.

“Are you sure?” Jeff asks again.

“I can’t think of any good movies.” Abed says back in a quiet voice.

Jeff is about to laugh, about to say _”I could name twenty movies you think are good solely by looking at the posters on the walls.”_ before he realizes what Abed means.

Jeff isn’t sure what to do, feels pressured to make a good choice, the right choice, even though he doesn’t think there really is one.

“Since when do you have a Wii?” He asks when he suddenly spots the white box standing next to the screen on the tv stand.

“Couple weeks. Garrett was getting rid of his and Annie bought it off him for me.” Abed explains.

Jeff moves to get up, figuring the remotes are somewhere by the tv against the opposite wall, but Abed makes a strangled sound in the back of his throat and his hand darts out, snatching Jeff’s arm to stop him.

“They’re in here.” He spits out in a rushed voice, grabbing two controllers out of the nightstand and passing one to Jeff.

When Jeff shifts back against the headboard Abed takes a slow breath and switches the tv on. “Want to play Mario Kart?” He asks.

“Sure.” Jeff answers, inspecting the remote in his hand.

They’re picking their characters, Abed immediately claiming Yoshi. While Jeff is deciding, ultimately settling on Toad, Abed’s inching closer to him, sliding along rocket ships and planets on the space-themed sheets. They’re hardly touching, he’s bent over his crossed legs and Jeff’s propped on the pillows. He still looks small. And he flashes Jeff an unsure glance before turning to the screen again.

Jeff feels like he needs to answer it somehow, so his hand reaches out to the back of Abed’s neck, every muscle tight and the ridges of his spine showing through his t-shirt. He presses his fingertips down in little circles, then slides his hand away from between Abed’s shoulder blades when he leans backwards, coming to rest with his head against Jeff’s chest. He rearranges the pillows to fit around them, and Abed lets him. Jeff thinks it’s the most intimate position he’s ever been in.

Some of the tension falls from Abed’s shoulders as he settles into Jeff, the ghost of a smile flickering over his lips. When Abed turns to him before starting the game, Jeff offers a silent look that he hopes says _”You can come as close to me as you want, you can hold my hand even if it isn’t the same as his, anything if it makes you feel better.”_

Abed’s clearly been getting use out of this thing, because he kicks Jeff’s ass every single time, dark eyes zeroing in on the screen as he played. The slightly awkward angle of their positions wasn’t doing Jeff any favors, but he pretty much just sucked at it. Yet for a while Abed seemed to forget about everything. Jeff reminded himself to tell Annie how good of a friend she was for thinking of it.

“Thanks for coming tonight.” Abed says as Yoshi is getting crowned the winner of yet another round.

“Of course. You can always call me, you know.” Jeff answers, not at all surprised that he means it. “I like being with you.”

“You make me feel safe.” He says quietly, and it sounds like it should be a reference but Jeff doesn’t think it is one. His eyes don’t leave the floor.

“Pretty sure you just beat your own record.” Jeff says back.

Abed turns to him and raises an eyebrow.

“That was definitely the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

Jeff smirks a little after he says it, but for whatever reason the line takes a moment for Abed to process.

“I meant it.” He finally says, then clicks to the next round.

They play some more, and the words play on repeat in Jeff’s mind as Abed beats him on nearly every course in the game. When he checks the time, it’s nearly 2 in the morning. The hours had flown by, and when Abed sees he’s clearly surprised as well.

“Jeff, if it isn’t too much to ask—“ Abed begins, his finger tapping fast against one of the buttons on the remote.

“I can stay.” Jeff interrupts. “If that’s what you want.”

Abed gives him a small smile, then leans over to shut the light off. Jeff pulls the covers back and moves the pillows, fitting carefully in the space next to Abed as he puts his head down.

He pulls the comforter over them both, and Abed’s on his side facing Jeff, knees just barely hitting him. The knowledge that he makes Abed feel _safe_ gnaws through his ribcage.

“Thanks, Jeff.” Abed says, his voice barely above a whisper. “It gets hard to sleep in here sometimes.”

Jeff isn’t sure how to answer. Abed falls asleep before he can.


End file.
